Irish EU budget proposal sparks clash over 8% €141bn cut and protected farm and cohesion funds

Ireland has set an €141bn, 8% reduction for the EU’s 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, targeting the Global Europe foreign-aid budget, the competitiveness fund and administrative costs. In contrast, subsidies under the common agricultural policy and the cohesion policy remain intact, reflecting pressure from the Friends of Cohesion, a coalition of seventeen member states. The plan has drawn sharp rebuke from Members of the European Parliament, who label it short-sighted and warn of a historic failure.

Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s minister for Europe, defended the €1.62 trillion spending plan as a compromise that reconciles new priorities with the fiscal constraints faced by all members. The proposal sets the stage for a showdown between national governments and the European Parliament over the next seven-year budget cycle.